page_title: Scots Brigade
section_title: 1648-1697
hierarchical_section_title: Scots Brigade / 1648-1697
caption_attribution_description: English: John Graham, 1st Viscount of Dundee (1648-1689)
context_page_description: The Scots Brigade, also referred to as the Anglo-Dutch Brigade or by Dutch historians as the Anglo-Scots Brigade, was an infantry brigade in the army of the Dutch Republic. First formed in 1586, by the late 17th century it usually comprised six infantry regiments, three recruited primarily from Scotland and three from England.
  Throughout the 16th and early part of the 17th centuries, units of foreign mercenaries were commonly used by all European powers. Domestic opposition to permanent armies as a result of the 1638-1651 Wars of the Three Kingdoms meant British monarchs also used the Brigade to create a pool of trained officers, who could be called on when needed. However, in the early 18th century, increasing demand meant permission to recruit in Britain was restricted on a number of occasions and finally banned after 1757.
  The costs of participation in the 1701-1714 War of the Spanish Succession marked the decline of the Dutch Republic as a Great Power. After 1714, the Brigade was reduced to three regiments and primarily used to garrison the Barrier forts.
context_section_description: In the late 17th century, the experience of the Wars of the Three Kingdoms and the Protectorate meant strong resistance in both Scotland and England to a standing army. Formations like the Brigade thus provided an outlet for Scots and English who wanted to pursue a military career; professional officers formed a small and tight-knit group, who moved between armies, often regardless of nationality, religion or political belief. States commonly employed other nationalities; in the French army of 1672, 12 out of 58 infantry battalions were recruited outside France, as were 9 of its 87 cavalry regiments.
  During the 1665-1667 Second Anglo-Dutch War, officers were required to swear allegiance to the States General but many refused to do so. The English regiments were withdrawn in 1665, reinstated in 1667, then withdrawn again when the Third Anglo-Dutch War began in 1672. The alliance between England and France was deeply unpopular; while the Franco-Dutch War continued until 1678, the two countries made peace with the 1674 Treaty of Westminster.
  Uncertainty and constant changes impacted recruitment and William of Orange complained about its low morale and quality; by 1674, only 13 officers in the three nominally Scottish regiments were Scots. Hugh Mackay was largely responsible for recreating the Brigade by suggesting they re-establish the regiments by recruiting from Scotland and England.
  Recruitment for the Brigade was controlled by Charles II and his brother James II; they also appointed the officers but this required negotiation, as shown by the failure of attempts to install the Catholic Earl of Dumbarton as commander. Nevertheless, the Brigade included a number of Catholic officers like Thomas Buchan; during the 1689-92 Jacobite rising in Scotland, senior officers on both sides included former colleagues Buchan, George Ramsay, Hugh Mackay, Alexander Cannon, Viscount Dundee and Sir Thomas Livingstone.
  The Brigade was lent to James in June 1685 to suppress simultaneous rebellions in Scotland and England, but both quickly collapsed and it returned to the Netherlands without seeing action. In early 1688, James demanded the repatriation of the entire Brigade but it was clear war with France was imminent and William refused to comply. The Brigade accompanied his invasion of England in November 1688; a small detachment took part in the Wincanton Skirmish on 20 November 1688, one of the few actions fought during the largely bloodless campaign. In March 1689, Hugh Mackay and the three Scottish regiments were sent to Scotland to suppress the Jacobite uprising; the three English regiments were transferred onto the English military establishment.
caption: John Graham, Viscount Dundee; one of many late 17th century Scots soldiers who served with the Brigade
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